Automobile-bumper



ALLAN L. MCGREGOR, F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

AUTOMOBILE-BUMPER.

Specifica tion of Letters Patenti Patented Nov. tti, 1920.

i' Application mea Mai-0h 24. 1920. serial No. 368.459.

n Zoy/Lwhom 'if moy meer/i iq.. `lie/it, lknown that l. ALLAN L. ltlvtiminnn, .ma eitizvn ot' the l'nited States. and a resident' mart. ("hivago, in the eounty of Cook and State y 6 ol' Illinois, hare invented vel-tain nv\\ and l iiilaelnl `lmmovements: in Automobililiunipers. ol whit-h thv following is a s|ai-ilieation.

.7 Thi invention relates to. irnin'orementa in ntoniobihbumpers and partivularly to de .1W ltliir'ex oiI `the f'llaluilex' de uribed whilh :ire I adapted for attavhment to the front end of .,nmtor vebielva` for the purpose ol' protvelii-fiimf the veliir'le from eollision with other (obit-leiy or objet-tr.' with whit-h the rehiele. mi lfanar avviilentalljl vollidv.

A. i 'lhe ohjeet of this invention is lo provide ma vonstruetion for a bumper ln.\\'hiib u fr ureater degree of strength is all'ordvd. and yginoroeslnrially to provide .fi eonstruvtion ggg 2 0fgirghioh j'will render the bumper 'apablv ol' alg-geaialing the ell'eets ol' impart wilhont per- -,.,.k| nanent distortion ot' the bumper itsell'. l'urlberolrieet of the invention is to provide Jumiya-r slrnetnre whereinv the impail may uniformly distributvil throughout the hturipeiz. by ilu-hiding an eipnilizinL' nivnii, her.` .\`l'urthvr l'vature ol'ithe vonstruvlion wat; thiintrodm-lon ol' an adjiotablv vomit-i- ,Htiioiifhvtireen the bumper and the whelv in .fimorrlen to lirmide. l'ol' varioual dislanve bv-v igltnigen the l'izllne nivmbvrsol' the whii'lr. lo d .irlilab gtil-lebulmper is attavhed.

'l'he features embodied in the invention miie Flinrninat'ter more fully Het, forth and in termediato initializing bar connected at its ends to the free ends of the end portions 4, 4 by means of ahnvklvs "i, (i und itself conneetedat its ventral point to the front impact member 2.

The impavt bar 1 is preferably formed of bars of resilient metal so arrangod ab to be `rivldable in a horizontal direi-tion and eomparatirelv ninrivldahle in a vertieal diret'- tion. bel'ore suggested. the end portions l. l nl the front impai-t member :1re lient allvl to the troni impart member and l'orm U bapvd extleinitiea. The end portions kt. l terminate at their freu ends a distant-e inwardli from the extremities of the bumper bar. aubslantially ecpiai to one-third the length ol' t be bar :ind thv intermediate equal izinu bai-.5 beingl likewise ot' a length snh- -tantiallr equal to onwthird the total length ol' the bumper har. the vsame, as bel'oill suggested. being rigidly vonnertvd to thel I'ront impart niemhert at a point midway ol' its lvngth by means ot' a holt The equalizint! bal I is ot' eilrrilinea r ,vonformaliuu hlflplug laterali)l a'ndi rearwardly from it rentt'ai point ol' vonnvvtiv" and terminating at its free end rvaruard'tr at a distanvv from thv adjurent free vndal ot' the end pori tions 4. -l. thv extremitiesI ol' said vnd porlion vt. l being,r bvnt'or eurvvil in a direction toward thv front impaet member 0.. 'the .-idjarvut vnda4 of thv equalizng bar o and the end portion4 l. l are joined together h v means ol' the Qhaelilvs whirh are arranged substantially :it right angles to the front impart member L. .ha shown in Fi r. il. the vndl ol' the bara vonnncted by t o slmekles are rolled or turned to provide om' ti. b through whit-h extend bolts, 9 which also engage bolt` holas formed at the. ends of thv Hhavkles. whit-fi are in reulitv plates or links liv-ated above and below the bars eonnetted thereby. ly reason 4of this arrangement the hars are loosely eonnvetod by the shavklvs t. (t and a vonsiderabte degree of relative movement i permitted between the eqnalizing bur 5 and the end portions 4, 4.

'lbe bumper bnr is adapted to be attavhed in tbe usual manner to the forward end of the rvhiele. and more. partenlarly to the forward ends of thv frame members 9. 9 of the 'vvbivlw As a means of nttavhing the bnmpvr bar eonneering bai-,members It), 10 are mnployed wliieh extend generally purallvl to the l'ramv membera` t). t) and are eonnei'ted thereto at their rear ends by mans of Suitable viamping bolts 11, Il. 'llie lorwaid ends of the eonnevtinz bars 10, 1U terminate beyond thu ends of the frame members 9, 9 in the form of U- Shaped extremities 12, 12 opening inwardly toward each other and having their free ends adapted to lie iiatwise against the surface of the end portions 4, 4 of the bumper bar at a point substantially midway between y the ends of said end portions 4, 4.

As a means for connecting the bumper bar 1 to the connecting bars l0, l0, clamping members 13, 13 are employed which comprise VU-sheped members adapted to em- Y brace the parts of the connected barn-plumping bar -and the adincent end ortions 4, 4

thereby permitting a considera lendegree of v ing them together b pressure exerted through a bolt 14- Fig. 4) extending through the lower ends of the clamping member 13. A set screw 15 is mounted in the clamping member 13 and acts to seem-c the clam ing member in place.

It is o vious that the connecting here 1H. 10 may engage the bumper bar at diifrent points along the end .sections 1. i. ibas pen mitting the bumper bnr 'to be adjustably connected to different makes of vehicles. in which considerable variation exists in the distance separating the traine members 9, 9,

and likewise the connecting bars l0, 1U. In .other words` the clamping members 13, 13

relative movement `between the" parts as would result from the horizontal ielding thereof upon impact, and, because ci the resilient nature of the sevcral'members, they' would be restored to their normal conformation immediately after impact. The end onions 4, 4, together with the eqnalizini;y

ereby absorbmanifestly lessening the shock that' would ultimately be transmitted to the vehicle frame. By reason of the formation of the equalizing' bar 5 and its connection between the front impact member 2 and `the end pon .tions 4, 4, 1t assumes the function of a gar cprovides a reinforcing member for 'the frontimpact member 2 t` ing a port-ion of the shock of impact and spring acting to oppose the force of impact in such a wayne to not only equalize the shock but to restore the members to their' normal osition.

The eaturcs embodied in my invention :1re hereinafter more specifically pointed out in the appended claims:

I claim as my invention:

1. In an automobile bumper, the combination of an impact bar having its ends bent into U-fo'rm, a resilient member connected to said impact bar intermediate its ends and terminatln adjacent the free ends thereof, and shack es connecting the adjacent ends of said impact bar and resilient member.

2. In an automobile bumper, the combination of an impact bar having its end por- A tions bent in U-shape, its free ends terminnting inwardly beyond the point of attachment with the vehicle, and n resilient member joined intermediate its ends to thc central portion of said impact bnr, and shackles connecting the adjacent ends of said impact bar and resilient member.

3. In an automobile bumper, the combination of a resilient impact bar having;r itsI endportions bent in U-form and its freeends terminating inwardly beyond the points of attachment, un equalizing bar connecting the free ends of the impact bar and portions, and shackles intermediate the vconnected ends of said bars and normally arranged transversely thereto. i

4. In vun automobile bumper, the combination of an impact bar having its ends bent rearwardly and inwardly in U-shape.

its free ends terminating inwardly beyond the points of attachment, an equal'izing b ar joined to said impact bar between tscnds and terminating 1n horizontally oifrset rclation to theJ free ends of said 1 act bar, and shackles connecting the ends o said impact and equalini bars;

5; In an'antomo ile bumper", the combination of ai resilient imf act bar having its end portions bent inA -'orm and itsfree ends 'terminating 'inwardly beytmd .the points of attachment with a vehicle'fiamo, fn eqiia'lizing bar connecting. the ends of the impact bar, and 'connecting bars adapted ),for attachment with the "vehicle framey and adjustable connection with said end portions of the im act bar.

In witnesswhereof hereunto subscribe .my nineths 20th day of March, A. I).`

. AIfLAI L. monsoon.` 

